Turnabout Engagement
by tsurikato
Summary: Apollo gets a new client, and she knows everything about being accused. After all, It's Maya Fey. Her fiance died, and watch as Phoenix Wright becomes uncomfortable because HE'S not the one getting married. Spoilers for T&T, Post-AJ, PhoenixMaya
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: Phoenix Wright, Apollo Justice, and any other lawyer games do not belong to me. All rightfully belong to CAPCOM, and this person is simply using their characters for entertainment. Really.

I haven't written a real fanfic in a while.  
I haven't completed a real fanfic in a while, either.  
Eek.

Post-AJ, but it's more spoiler-y for T&T rather than AJ. This was spurred from the inner workings of a frustrated fangirl…who gave up fanfiction for Lent…and suffered. (snorts)

* * *

_Oh God…_

She dropped to her knees slowly, her fingers stroking the lifeless face of the man. His mouth was open slightly, as were his eyes.

Her lithe, numb fingers hovered over his eyes, and she closed them.

_Oh God…_

The light was on in the damp cellar, but all that mattered was her and the man in her arms.

And all that mattered suddenly disappeared.

She found her sister, her mother, all the victims and dead bodies flashing before her eyes. She shut them and turned her head, thinking it would be better to not look at his face.

Opening her eyes, she found a katana cloaked in blood.

_Oh…Oh God…_

The sound of a gasp and a high-pitched scream reached her ears, and her eyes looked towards the two figures at cellar door.

_I…I didn't do it…_

_I DIDN'T DO IT!_

* * *

**February 2  
Wright Anything Agency**

Apollo and Trucy were sitting in the cluttered agency, watching the television. Phoenix was no where to be seen; the little magician just said he was out to run errands, whatever that was. Apollo was channel surfing, and Trucy was a bit distraught. He had passed over an old rerun of the ever-famous Pink Princess, and obviously, he had no interest in even watching anything relatively like that.

"Polly!" she protested. "I wanted to watch!" But before she could say any more, Apollo stopped at a news channel, and she heard a familiar name.

"Last evening, Maya Fey, master of the Kurain Channeling School, was arrested on suspicion of murder. The victim was her fiancé, Elliot Baron, the would-be successor to the Royalty Banking Company. She was found next to the body by two witnesses with the murder weapon, a katana, next to her. Police are investigating this matter further."

Apollo blinked at the recent light of events, and his eyebrows furrowed together in deep thought. "Where have I heard those names from?" He heard Trucy stand up and walk around the place, and he turned his head to watch. She was looking underneath the little trinkets and toys and tables, behind the piano, and finally found something under the same silk blue top hat where he had found the fingerprinting powder. She took out a white square envelope with elegant gold script on the front. It wasn't there the last time he checked.

"To Mr. Phoenix Wright." Trucy read aloud, the envelope in her hands. "Wow, Daddy sounds a lot like a real lawyer that way."

"I don't blame you—he doesn't come off as a real lawyer if you look at him now."

She proceeded to open the envelope and took out the contents inside. There was just a square piece of white, firm paper and a smaller piece inside. Trucy sat down on the couch next to Apollo, who looked over the letter with her.

"You are cordially invited to the engagement party of Elliot Baron and Maya Fey on February 1," Trucy read again. There was more to the letter, but she looked to Apollo with a wide smile, as if she found hidden pirate's gold. "This is where I heard it from!"

"Wow. Never knew that Phoenix had such connections," he said. "But…wasn't he here last night when the party was going on? Wouldn't he bring you?"

Trucy shrugged. "He said something about going out at seven, but when I saw him still here, he said he wanted to be fashionably late. I didn't mind—it's all about the showmanship!"

"…And you still didn't go?"

"Yeah…I ended up sleeping when I was watching a movie Daddy put in for me. I wanted to show more people my magic panties!"

_I have to admit, I'm still curious as to how she could pull a tire out of those things._

There was a sudden knock on the door, and two heads turned to it.

Rock, paper, scissors.

Rock and scissors.

Apollo sighed and stood up. This ritual had started when it felt too hot to move, and Trucy and Apollo duked it out for a good five minutes just to see who would get the door. He lost, but as soon as Trucy saw it was Phoenix with groceries, she pitched in to help.

The young lawyer opened the mahogany entrance, and there stood a light brown-haired girl, half of her hair tied up in two loops. She was a bit taller than Trucy, and she wore a strange outfit.

"Are you Apollo?" she asked.

"Uh…yes. Who are you?"

"Mr. Nick told me to show you your new client at the detention center."

Was it him, or did Apollo not hear her name in that sentence?

"Excuse me? Mr. Nick?"

"Mr...Phoenix Wright?"

"That's Daddy!" Trucy piped in, appearing (like magic) next to Apollo. He almost fell over. "C'mon, Polly, looks like you got a new client!"

* * *

**February 2  
Detention Center**

It was the same detention center that he and Trucy went to numerous times before. It was nothing different. There were still the gray walls and the glass separating his client and him. There was still the lone camera in the corner and the security guard standing by himself by the door. The surprise was what the chair held: his client.

"Polly? What's wrong?" Trucy asked. He didn't respond. "…Polly, I'm going to touch your hair." He still didn't respond. "Oh no, something's wrong."

"You sure that's them, Pearly?" the woman across the glass asked.

"Uh-huh. Mr. Nick said that they weren't the hardest characters to miss."

"Great. Thanks for all you've done."

"Don't worry about it, Mystic Maya! The elders are kind to me back at the village." The girl checked the clock on a nearby wall and frowned a bit. "I have to go now. There's a meeting in a couple of hours. I'll visit you again soon, I promise!"

The girl whom Maya Fey had called Pearly waved a good-bye to Trucy and Apollo as she left the center.

Maya's concentration now focused on Apollo, and she looked amused at his expression. "Mr. Justice and…Trucy, correct?"

"Yep, that's us!" Trucy bounced. "You must be Maya Fey!"

Maya smiled back at the young girl. "That I am. I'm wondering why Mr. Justice here seems so…surprised."

"Ah! S-Sorry! I-I'm fine!" He sputtered. Trucy giggled at his sudden exclamation. "I just feel dumb for not realizing it sooner."

"Realizing what?" Trucy asked.

"Maya Fey was your dad's former assistant back when he was a lawyer." Trucy's mouth turned into a small 'o', as if she had just realized it, too.

The black-haired woman nodded. "The one and only."

"Yeah, Polly, how could you not have realized that sooner!"

_Hey! Didn't you just look surprised too?_

"Please, just call me Apollo."

"Daddy and I call him Polly, so you can call him that, too!"

He threw a small glare at Trucy, and Maya chuckled. "From what I've heard, you're a real passionate one in court, Apollo."

"His voice always hurts everyone's ears in the court."

"Hey! Don't make fun of my Chords of Steel." He coughed and appeared to resume business. "Anyway, there was a certain reason why we're here."

"You are going to be my defense lawyer?" Maya asked, tilting her head with a small smile.

"As long as you agree, Ms. Fey."

"Maya is fine, and yes, I would love for you to defend me." Maya seemed to always have a smile on her face. "Nick has told me good things about you, so I'm sure that I can come out of that court, knowing the truth has been revealed." Apollo flushed a bit and scratched the back of his neck.

He coughed again. "So, what was your connection to the victim?"

"Elliot Baron? He was my fiancé."

"How romantic!" Trucy piped in. "How did he propose?"

Maya chuckled. "Well, he didn't exactly propose. The elders at my village saw it fit to hire a matchmaker for me. Elliot Baron was chosen, and we got along just fine. We talked about marriage and thought it was best to go along with it."

Trucy pouted cutely. "Aw. That's kind of…boring."

"Don't worry. I'm sure you'll have your own romantic proposal, Trucy."

"Your engagement party was last night, correct? Where the murder was held?" Apollo interrogated. As soon as he went around to the event last night, the sparkle in Maya's eyes suddenly diminished, and she nodded slowly. It was like every muscle that enabled her to nod screamed in agony when she had to admit it. He could practically feel her pain, and his fists tightened.

His resolve to prove her innocence was made stronger.

"Tell me everything you know."

* * *

All will be revealed in due time. That's...all I have to say, honestly.

R/R, please!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: Phoenix Wright, Apollo Justice, and any other lawyer games do not belong to me. All rightfully belong to CAPCOM, and this person is simply using their characters for entertainment. Really.

The reviews made me feel utterly special, really. I love reviews. Do a good deed, readers, and leave a review!  
Honestly, though, I love you guys. I know, it's unusual for a fast update, but hey. >>; At least it's not months later.

* * *

**February 2  
Baron Mansion**

"Woooow! Take a look at this place, Polly! It's huge!"

In front of them, a tall, four-story mansion stood imposingly. There were off-white pillars, their paint changed from the weather, that were part of the porch. The sides of the building stretched out until the corners of the street, and they couldn't even fathom the amount of property they owned **behind** the building.

"Lifestyles of the rich and the famous," Apollo commented, still staring.

"Famous? I haven't even heard about them 'til now!"

They passed the police cars up at the front of the house and showed the officer guarding the front door the official document explaining that they were defending the client, and he, unwillingly, gave them access.

They went through the foyer as slowly as they could, inhaling everything they could see. Chandeliers were the common way of lighting a room, and the walls showed off their dark, mysterious, royal red. There were ornaments and decorations everywhere, glittering every time they hit even a spot of light. They didn't even look like they had dust on it.

"You think they have maids and butlers?" Trucy asked.

"In this place? Even I wouldn't want to clean all this up by myself."

"But Polly, you don't even clean in the Agency!"

"Hey. I clean more than you and your dad combined."

They had finally made their way into the first ballroom ("You mean there's more?"), which was filled with purple and white table tops, and their center pieces were simple tall vases with two white roses in each one. The plates and food were all still sitting in their respective spots—they hadn't cleaned up much since last night. There was a large, empty spot on the wooden floor in the center, probably for dancing, and the DJ was still set up in the corner.

What caught their eye was the dark-haired girl hanging around a table close by. Her long hair reached up to the middle of her back, and all the two could see were the lower parts of her sleek white dress.

"Hey! Polly! Maybe she lives here!" Trucy whispered. He nodded, getting the same idea as Trucy did.

"E-Excuse me!" He called to the woman, and she turned her head. He blushed instantly, taking a look at the woman's face. "U-Um, you live here, right?"

Her hair was parted to the side, causing it to cover one of her curious pink eyes. Her face looked smooth and mature, and her hands were folded neatly in front of her. She nodded once.

"_I found him in the cellar…"_

"I'm the defense attorney for Maya Fey. Could you please tell us where the cellar is?"

She looked at him and Trucy a bit more before lifting a hand to point behind them. "Go to your right. It's the second door to the left." She put her hand down and tilted her head. "You can't miss it."

Apollo nodded. "Thank you, miss." He gestured for Trucy to follow, and they left the room to their destination.

Sure enough, they found the cellar. Sure enough, they honestly couldn't miss it.

It was covered with a long white curtain that was wrapped in "DO NOT ENTER" tape, along with police officers inspecting almost every inch surrounding the door.

"Why couldn't they just wrap the whole entire doorway?" Apollo asked.

"Because then they couldn't go in and out of the cellar," Trucy explained. "Really now, Polly, it's kind of common sense."

_Can you stop making fun of me? Really._

They went down the stairs, and they immediately felt the temperature in the air go down, and Trucy felt goose bumps all over her bare arms. She unconsciously wrapped her cloak around her and sighed happily.

"See? This cape isn't just for show!" she told Apollo happily.

_I'm still wondering why you wear that outfit in the middle of winter._

He went back to the crime scene, looking at it from his point a view. "A wine cellar," Apollo observed, noticing the numerous wine racks that were lined like a grocery store. The police officers looking around at the wine just made it more comical-looking.

"Well, look who we have here!"

The defense team looked to find Ema Skye, lifting her glasses a bit as if she was tipping her hat to them in a greeting. "Fancy seeing you guys here."

"Hey, Ema!" Trucy greeted, smiling brightly. "You're the detective for this case, huh?"

"Yep. I'm assuming your client's Maya Fey?" she asked, and Apollo nodded in affirmation. "Well, I have to say, it doesn't look very good for her."

"What do you mean, Ema?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows like he usually did.

"Well, take a look around, will you?" she suggested, getting out of their way and extending her arm as to say, 'go ahead.' Apollo and Trucy decided to accept her invite. "I have an autopsy for you guys, by the way." She handed the manila envelope to Apollo, and he opened it immediately.

"The victim was Elliot Baron, son of Duke and Contessa Baron. His father is the fifth running CEO of Royalty Banking Company, one of the top ten successful business companies in the nation. He's 30-years-old, and cause of death was excessive bleeding in his abdomen. He died around 8 to 8:30 PM," he read. "And…this katana…was the murder weapon?" Apollo asked, pointing down to the curved, carefully-crafted item on the ground. It was nauseatingly coated with blood, and it was next to the white tape that outlined Elliot's body.

"It's been confirmed. The blood is the victim's," Ema replied, and her frown deepened. "The fingerprints on the handles are Maya's."

Trucy looked at her with wide eyes. "No way!"

The detective only nodded. "We don't know the story behind the sword; so hopefully, you court-people would do your thing and find out the truth for us, yeah?"

Apollo's eyes narrowed, and he smirked a little bit. "Have you been hanging around Prosecutor Gavin a bit too long, Ema?"

"W-WHAT? NO. ME? AROUND THAT GLIMMEROUS FOP? NEVER." She ate her Snackoos with fervor, and Apollo backed away, not ignoring Trucy's light giggle.

"Hey, what's this?"

Said girl was pointing a small ring lying close to a wine rack and the katana, and Ema stepped closer to it, still munching on her Snackoos with an indignant face.

"That ring, according to the accused herself, is her engagement ring," she confirmed. Trucy was awestruck at the glittering diamond on it.

"_I left the party at around 7:45…I remember seeing the time on the wall. I think I misplaced my ring, and I kept looking for it."_

"Did you look for fingerprints on the wine bottles or something?" Apollo asked. Ema rubbed her chin in thought.

"We found a few of the victim's and the victim's family on the wine bottles, actually," she said. "There was one that had the defendant's fingerprints on it." And she pointed confidently to the one that was lying comfortably in its place in the rack. It was two rows right above the diamond ring.

_Interesting._ Apollo thought.

"Oh, hey, Polly!" Trucy called. He turned around and found the magician crouching near a long, open container. "Look!" Walking over, he bent down next to her, Ema's shadow over them. It was a long wooden box with the cover hanging open by the hinges, and in the inside was an imprinted figure of a long sword, as if it fit there perfectly. "Look familiar?"

"It's…the katana!" he exclaimed. He made a note to question Maya if he knew about this certain item. He turned his head to face the detective above them.

"_I was by myself…so I don't have a solid alibi."_

"There was a witness, wasn't there?"

"Well, technically, yeah," Ema responded, taking another Snackoo from her bag. She crunched them loudly. _She's not going to tell us who they are and what they're going to testify, huh?_ Apollo thought.

He stood up and dusted himself off a bit. "We'll be back, Ema," he said.

"You go do that." And she continued to put in her mouth Snackoo after Snackoo, looking like she was still bitter about that Prosecutor Gavin comment.

They went up the stairs, and Trucy looked at Apollo. "More clue hunting?" she asked eagerly. He nodded in reply.

* * *

**February 2  
Detention Center**

"Maya Fey, you have a visitor," the guard called. She stood up gracefully and was escorted by the officer to the room where she was just talking to Apollo and Trucy.

She sat down and took a look at her visitor, and her eyes widened a bit.

"If it weren't for your eyes and your smile, I wouldn't have recognized you, Nick," she said, her small hand over her heart. It was beating faster than usual as soon as she saw him.

"Times have changed, huh, Maya?" he said leaning forward to the glass a bit. His hand reached out for the bottom of the glass subtly, like he wanted to hold her hand but found he couldn't. There was that unmistakable pang in his heart. "…I'm sorry I had to send you away…"

Maya shook her head somberly, her eyes looking glossier than before. "It's okay—your intentions were pure. It gave me time to grow up, too, see?" She smiled serenely and tilted her head.

"…You look just like your mother when you do that."

She lowered her head, still smiling. "Thank you for sending Apollo and Trucy," she mentioned. "Your daughter is very cute."

"Isn't she just?" he agreed, smiling fondly. "I've grown horribly attached to them. It's hard looking cool whenever I think of all those times you guys made fun of me." Maya giggled, but a moment of silence was suspended between the two. Their live reunion wasn't what she expected it to be. She expected to see him, smiling at her with his familiar blue suit and her in a wedding dress.

She didn't expect to see him again on the other side of the glass.

It was...depressing, to say the least.

"I'm sorry for not having contacted you for two years," she blurted out, turning a bit red at the confession. Her hand by her heart was clenched into a fist. "With Elliot coming around, there was just no time…I—"

"I can't say I'm not mad," Phoenix interrupted, "but at least I knew you were meeting with him beforehand." His smile held the words _thank you for telling me._

"I was disappointed when I didn't see you at the party," Maya asserted, "but now I'm glad that you weren't there for the…events that took place."

"I'm just glad I was able to talk with you a month before this whole thing happened," he said. "And now, looking at you, I know you're going to be okay." He took a long look at her. "Everything will be fine."

Maya's smile saddened. "What has life done to you, Nick?" she asked softly.

He lowered his head, similar to Maya, his hat shading his eyes. All you could see was his mysterious smile, but she knew the hidden secrecy behind it. "I'll tell you later when you're out of here. I promise."

* * *

I'd like to shower my love and thanks to my wonderful, lovely, dear best friend, TadakoXIII for beta-ing this fanfic for me. She's a big help for pointing out my obvious mistakes that I make and telling me points that aren't clear so I can make them clearer.

I'd like to shower you guys with my love and thanks again for reviewing! You made my day all better.

R/R, please!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer**: Phoenix Wright, Apollo Justice, and any other lawyer games do not belong to me. All rightfully belong to CAPCOM, and this person is simply using their characters for entertainment. Really.

YOUR REVIEWS! You guys seriously brought a smile (and a squee) to my face.

Once again, thanks to TadakoXIII/Tadako Kazahaya for beta-ing!

* * *

**February 2****  
Baron Mansion  
Second Level**

The stairs parted at the middle and conjoined somewhere halfway. Trucy had run to the other side of the staircase, challenging Apollo to a race.

Naturally, he didn't want to lose.

Their hands didn't grasp on the shining oak railing, and every step they took was cushioned by the snow-white carpet. Both reached the top, panting hard. Trucy smiled triumphantly through her slanted hat.

"I…I win!" she exclaimed, and Apollo groaned. Trucy: 34, Apollo: 9. They fell to the ground, and Apollo sat, wondering why the fates cursed him. Trucy was belly-down on the floor, and she released a sound of satisfaction. "This carpet is really soft!" she commented. "Soft and white. No wonder they made us take off our shoes."

"It's pretty scary if you think about it. The Baron family seems obsessed with cleanliness or something like that." He stood up and helped Trucy get to her feet. "Not a speck of dust anywhere."

She smoothed out the wrinkles on her dress and glanced up to Apollo. "So, if we're looking for clues, we have to look for something…messy?"

"If it helps."

* * *

"_Maybe you can look in the room that I was staying in. It's the first door on your left when you go up the grand stairs."_

They stepped through the royal blue door and found a room that emanated some kind of spiritual energy.

"Maya sure does like to leave traces of her everywhere. First the ring, now her room…" Trucy joked.

The walls were a soft pastel green, and two neat beds were separated by a bedside table. A lamp rested on the small table, and a few frames decorated it.

Trucy leaned closer. "Look, Polly, it's Daddy!"

He walked over to where the frames were, and right in front of his eyes was a group picture. The younger Phoenix looked happier and more naïve than he did now, with Maya, the girl that escorted them to the Detention Center, and a few others that Apollo didn't recognize. To think that he was only a teenager when his 'legacy' happened, and now, he's kind of like his student.

_It's an honor and a disappointment…at the same time. Never get your hopes up ever again, Justice._

"Was his hair always that spiky?" he asked, pointing at the spikes evident on the back of his mentor's pictured head.

"Yep! I met him before you did, after all! But your hair stands out a lot more, Polly."

He looked at the other frames, finding a picture of a brunette woman with ruby lips that spread into a smile, another older woman who closely resembled Maya, and a picture of Elliot and Maya together. They looked like they were at some kind of carnival; balloons and children were all over the background. They looked genuinely happy—Maya's smile was bigger than Apollo had ever seen it, and Elliot's business mask was broken by his soft eyes and small grin. His hand was wrapped around Maya's, and Apollo could practically feel the warmth radiating from their joined hands.

"They 'got along' better than I thought," he muttered.

Trucy was looking elsewhere in the room. She spotted two suitcases at the end of each bed, both of them open to reveal their contents. There were just clothes inside, probably enough for a week's stay.

"Maya and someone else must've stayed for the party preparations," she said. She had the inkling that it was the 'Pearly' girl who stayed with her. She walked over to the white dresser, looking around the make-up products, bottles of lotion, and some facial cleansers. There wasn't anything suspicious, at least, anything she could think of.

"_I'd like to be of more help, so do you mind if I give a little advice?_

"_If you can't seem to find anything, step back. Take a look at the big picture."_

Trucy stepped back.

"Oh! Polly! Polly! I found something!"

She skipped over to the small garbage can that went unnoticed because the huge dresser was blocking its view.

"Look! Look!"

Apollo ran over, and his face immediately wavered. "A…garbage can, Trucy?"

She looked between the garbage can and Apollo with the brightest of smiles. "…YEAH!"

"…Aw, c'mon, Polly, don't tell me you're not excited."

"…but I'd be lying if I told you I was."

She pouted and crossed her arms in a huff. "Garbage cans are one of the greatest places to find evidence for a crime scene!"

He wondered whether she was watching too much CSI or something. "Says who?"

"Says the time when we found two pieces of hardcore evidence in the garbage can at People Park for Wocky's case."

He faltered again. The young magician had a point. "Fine," he admitted, putting his hands up as a sign of throwing the towel, "go look in the garbage can."

Trucy willingly went and bent over to see any items of interest. Almost immediately, she pulled out a piece of white crumpled paper. "You think this is anything good?" she asked, pointing to the paper ball with her free hand.

"We'll never know until we find out."

He went over to the dresser with Trucy, and she unraveled it slowly. The ball was crumpled so much that it was almost hard not to rip parts of the paper. She smoothed it out with her gloved hand, and they both stared at the incredibly wrinkled piece of paper. There were so many creases and marks that the handwriting was almost illegible.

"It's addressed to Maya," Trucy stated.

Their eyes read the message at the same rate, and both of them pulled their heads back on the impulse of surprise.

"…This letter—" But before she could say anything else, Apollo folded it twice and stuffed it in his pocket.

"Who are you?" A voice from the door came. They reeled their heads and almost shrunk back at the level of intimidation the old woman at the door gave off.

* * *

"_Nick? Is that really you?"_

"_In the flesh. Well…almost."_

"…_Oh God, Nick, it's been such a long time. I…I can't even say anything…"_

"_Haha, it's okay, Maya, I'm pretty—overwhelmed, as well. It's great to hear your voice again.."_

"_Yours, too! I remember Pearl asking me the difference between female and male puberty, and you came to mind."_

"…_Should I ask why?"_

"_So what's happened while I've been…away?"_

"_Well, the mystery behind my badge has been…solved, to say the least."_

"_!! That's…THAT'S TERRIFIC! I'm so happy for you!"_

"_I…I'm sorry I wasn't there to be with you, Nick. I…"_

"_Aw, c'mon, Maya, our first conversation in two years, and all you can do is apologize. Whatever happened to going out to eat some burgers or noodles or something?"_

"…_Why do you sound so much cooler than you did before?"_

"_I'm not answering that."_

"_Hahahah! Well, I guess I can say times have changed."_

"_So, what about you?"_

"_Me?"_

"_What did time change about you? All my hypotheses of why you've never called and why I never reached you would like to come to a conclusion."_

"_Is that Ema Skye girl with you? Has she been digging too much science in your brain to kick out all my spirituality?"_

"_Hahaha, nothing like that, Maya."_

"…_Well, you know Elliot."_

"_Ah, yes. Matchmaker-guy, right?"_

"_What about Elliot?"_

"_S-sorry. Um…"_

"…_Maya?"_

"_I'm sorr—man, I should stop saying that."_

"…_Maya, are you engaged?"_

"…_Am I that obvious?"_

"_Even if you're on the phone, I swear I can see the psyche-locks right in front of me."_

"_I'm sorry I couldn't have told you sooner. I…all my excuses aren't enough."_

"_It's alright. Oh, hold on, Trucy's calling."_

'_Daddy? Daddy, why do you look so sad?'_

* * *

The woman looked about in her mid-40s. Her black hair was tied up in a tight bun, and her bangs resembled that of the dark-haired woman Apollo and Trucy found downstairs in the ballroom. The differences were that it didn't cover her eye and there was a wide streak of gray that bordered her hair. Her eyes were the same as Elliot's in his profile picture: narrow and business-like. She was wearing a white, pristine shawl and a ruby red dress that flowed all the way down to her ankles.

"Maya is your client?" she repeated. She retreated a bit; she didn't look like it, but Apollo and Trucy could feel her aura turn a little less dark. "Ah, I see."

"Um…may I ask who you are, ma'am?" Apollo asked. _Pretend she's Little Plum. Pretend she's Little Plum…_

"Contessa Baron," she replied, "Elliot's mother." She shook hands with Apollo, and then with Trucy. He noticed the young girl flinch—the old woman had a strong grip. "Might I ask what you're doing in the guest room?"

"Maya—I mean—Ms. Fey gave us permission to go through her room, just to see if we could find anything…" Trucy trailed off.

Contessa nodded in recognition. "I understand. I'm…willing to talk, if you don't mind an old woman's ramblings."

"So, uh, when did you meet Maya Fey?" Apollo brought up awkwardly.

Her eyes bore into his. "Two years back. My husband had Elliot set up for a matchmaker; he was getting older, and we needed another, legitimate heir for the company before we leave."

"Royalty Banking Company is the kind that passes down business to their children?" Trucy inquired.

Contessa nodded once. Apollo found it eerily similar to the way that dark-haired lady in the first ballroom nodded. "Elliot wasn't one for dating women, always so immersed in his work. I minded a little bit, you know, the grandmother feeling. But I thought it was nice he was being so responsible."

"How'd he get into the matchmaking?" Apollo asked.

The left side of her mouth frowned, as if of distaste. "His father thought it was unhealthy. Said how proud he was of his work, but he was worried if he didn't get enough 'fresh air', he'd end up like him: overworked, stressed, and unsatisfied."

"No wonder she's frowning. I'd take that as an insult if I were her!" Trucy whispered.

"He met Maya, and he instantly took a liking to her." She continued.

"So, what does Royalty Banking do, specifically?" he inquired.

It seemed as if the woman knew every question Apollo was going to ask. She always responded immediately. _Either that or her brain waves exceed mine. _He took another glance at her. _…Maybe._ "We make computer programs for banks. Our company only hires the best, so we make the best results."

Trucy opened her mouth wide in surprise. "It sounds hard," she commented.

"Our professionals know what they're doing. My son, especially, was a master at the art of this business." Contessa's mouth curved into a proud smirk.

'She's one of those doting mothers, huh, Polly?" the magician giggled. Apollo put a strict finger to his mouth, signifying her to hush. He's been pretending that this woman was like Little Plum that he accidentally thought the gleam in her eye was the gleam from the sword in the broom.

He racked his brain a bit for more questions. Then, a thought came to him. _Where have I heard of Royalty Banking before?_ "Were there any…controversies or problems that happened in your company before? Anything recent?"

She stayed silent. It was a good enough reaction for Apollo to suddenly twitch, and Trucy looked at him worriedly.

"Polly, what's wrong?" she whispered.

"That's weird…my bracelet. It reacted!"

Contessa's mouth finally opened. "I'm sorry, company confidentiality." The words came out strained, and he definitely knew it was something he had to look up.

"I understand," he nodded. "Then, can you tell me about the night of the murder, please?" He asked with as much caution as possible, hoping not to have struck a nerve for bringing it up so suddenly.

She was silent for a moment, staring holes at, what Trucy thought, Maya's suitcase. Suddenly, her right hand went up to her temple, and her eyes crinkled. She had a light grimace on her face, and her left hand rested at the bend of her right elbow. "I discovered her with my son, if that's what you mean."

The two younger ones in the room raised their eyebrows in surprise. Apollo looked at his aide, and she mouthed to him, _"She must be the witness!"_

"…Can you please tell us what you saw?" he asked.

They felt her aura go back in full-force in a second, and they struggled not to jump.

"I saw the sword, I saw the gaping hole in his stomach, I saw everything!" she snapped. "I saw my son lying in his own pool of blood with that…that…_woman_ next to him!" She was breathing heavily, and Apollo and Trucy could see her eyes and nose getting red.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't meant to bring up…memories," he apologized profusely, his arms almost reaching out to comfort her. (Read: almost.)

Contessa only shook her head, regaining her composure. She let out a shaky breath and went back to her crossed-arms stance, nodding once. "It's…hard, losing your only son, after all. Especially to his…fiancé." Trucy felt shivers down her spine, hearing the word 'fiancé' being spat out from the woman's mouth.

"I take it you don't like Ms. Fey very much?"

Her mouth straightened into a firm line. "I didn't find her an acceptable life partner for my son," she admitted. "Unfortunately, Mr. Justice, I cannot share with you anything else. The prosecution has me on lock-down." As soon as she said prosecution, her eyes went back to the steely eyes they were once before. _Too late to get anything out of her now._

Apollo nodded in comprehension. "So you _are_ the witness."

She took a quick glance at her wristwatch. It was wrapped around her small, bony wrist tightly. "I must leave. There's a family meeting concerning…this matter." She nodded once to Apollo and once to Trucy. "I'll see you in court, then." And she left through the door, her head held up high.

After a minute of eerie silence, Trucy looked at Apollo. "…Polly, was it me, or were her eyes shifting around a lot?"

He sat down on the end of the bed, his arms crossed in thought. "I was wondering that, too, actually," he said. His bracelet had stopped pulsing already, but there was still a weird feeling in his mind. "Why did she even come in here in the first place?"

"We should show this letter to Maya, then," she inputted, nodding at the piece of crumpled paper in his pocket.

He only patted his pocket, like you would to a pet who obeyed your command. "We'll do just that."

* * *

Pearl exhaled as the meeting was adjourned, the elders of the village leaving the building in groups of two or three or just one.

She understood now. She understood why Maya immersed herself in her work when Phoenix had sent them away. She understood why she flourished into the person she was now. She understood how hard she worked to keep this school, this village, this way of life alive. Now that she was older, Pearl knew Maya's pains. She knew the reasons why, sometimes, she would hear her dearest cousin cry at night. She knew what the Kurain Master would see every time she closed her eyes: a complete family, all her friends, and the man that haunted her dreams. And Pearl knew that, when Maya opened her eyes, she'd find her work load, the overpowering smell of incense, and a worrying younger cousin.

Nothing was like she imagined. Nothing was fair.

And she still had the strong will to live with a glowing grin.

"Mystic Pearl?"

She turned her head to the remaining elder, an old woman with a sweet smile, and returned with her own radiant smile.

"Mystic Midori! What would you like to speak to me about?" Pearl asked.

The old woman gently took both of the young medium's hands in hers, and her eyes twinkled. "I just want to say that you're doing a magnificent job, covering for Mystic Maya," she praised. Pearl instantly blushed and opened her mouth to say something back, but Midori only hushed her. "I know how those older men don't appreciate the bad publicity, but I know that she'll pull through."

Midori's kind smile only reminded Pearl of Maya's mother and how she seemed to understand everything that was going on. It was eerily nostalgic.

It was the smile that Pearl could have saved if she wasn't such a child.

"She would never commit murder," Midori added, "even if it was the murder of a man…she didn't love."

Pearl's eyes widened with surprise. "How—"

"Women's intuition," the older woman intervened, her smile as mysterious as ever. "Keep up the good work…and please, take care of Mystic Maya."

* * *

Things are slowly piecing together!

Or are they?

This is just an update before I head to Boston for the weekend. 8D The dance company I'm in has a performance out of state! Woo! And I'm performing! Woo! So I won't have access to my chapter 4 file for a good two days. But I'll deliver!

R/R please!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer**: Phoenix Wright, Apollo Justice, and any other lawyer games do not belong to me. All rightfully belong to CAPCOM, and this person is simply using their characters for entertainment. Really.

_Current songs of the moment:  
Javier - Crazy  
Craig David - Fill Me In_

End random thing.

Thanks again to Tadako Kazahaya for beta-ing! :D  
Also edited a small mistake in the last chapter, thanks to EvilMarshmallo13. Thanks a lot, really! Those kind of mistakes are the death of me, so I'm glad if someone points them out.

* * *

**February 2  
Taxi Cab**

"So, let's go over what we have so far," Trucy suggested, and she started counting off with her pinky. "We have Daddy's invitation, the katana, Maya's engagement ring, her fingerprints on a wine bottle, a case for the katana, and a letter addressed to Maya in the court record, so far."

Apollo nodded, his arms crossed like a professional. "We should ask Maya about all these items and see how much information she can tell us." His hand was always hovered over the note in his pocket. The contents were very vague, thus the two didn't know how to interpret it. "The more information we can get, then the more we can prove her case."

"Because Maya is innocent, right?" she clarified.

"I can't help but think she is," he sighed.

The spacey property that the Baron Mansion was in was fading away in the window behind them, and the tall city buildings were starting to interrupt the horizon at the front. The sky was as blue as the magician's silk hat, and there were no clouds to interrupt the perfectly clear day.

"You think we'll see Daddy at the detention center?" Trucy asked.

"…You know, I didn't even think of that," Apollo answered, blinking at the sudden revelation.

"I expected you to say that," she said happily, and the lawyer looked at her exasperatedly.

"Have you ever met her before today?" he asked, leaning back on the cushioned seat.

"Her? You mean Maya?" Apollo nodded in response to her question, and Trucy's face turned blank. She shifted her head to face the window, staring out at the line of trees that lined the edge of the long road. The glass reflected her round face as the scenery passed by. "Not really."

He looked surprised. "Really? Why not? Wasn't she your dad's assistant?"

She shrugged. "By the time I started to live with Daddy, she was gone. I don't really know who she is, other than the occasional phone call that would reach the house." He felt the air turn thick with uneasiness. "Then, after a while, there'd be no more calls."

There was a resounding silence in the taxi cab. The driver continued to look forward, not bothering to take part in whatever conversation they were having.

"…Do you like her?"

She turned her head to face Apollo and found his own face holding curiosity and worry. She gave him a small smile. "I know Daddy must like her a lot, so I don't have a reason not to!"

His bracelet pounded. "…But…"

"…I…" Trucy turned to look outside the window again. "I could make Daddy feel better about anything: his badge, his financial status, his cooking…" She trailed off, and her shoulders drooped. "Anything except her."

* * *

**February 2  
Detention Center**

They were, once again, in the familiar place so lovingly called the detention center.  
If it weren't for the secrets hidden in between these dull walls, Apollo was certain he'd get sick of this place.

He looked around. "Guess your dad's not here," he noted.

"Maybe we just missed him!" Trucy said optimistically.

"…Should you be happy about that?" Her quiet mood seemed to have disappeared as soon as they stepped out of the taxi cab, and she acted as if she never said anything. Apollo knew it was one of her defense mechanisms—he just wished he could do something better to comfort her rather than just going along with her act.

A chair on the other side of the glass scraped the floor, and both their heads turned to the source. They found what they expected: Maya coming out of questioning, her serene smile still there.

"Hello Apollo, hello Trucy," she greeted. "You've investigated a bit, I presume?"

Trucy bounced. "Yep! We have some questions to ask, too!"

Maya nodded in understanding. "I'll tell you as much as I can."

Apollo placed his chin softly between the U of his index finger and thumb. "Your trial is in two days, so we have no time to waste."

"We looked through your room like you allowed," Trucy piped in. "Your pictures were pretty!"

Maya chuckled. "Thank you—they are my prized possessions."

"How long have you known Elliot? You seemed really friendly with him."

The woman turned slightly pink, realizing that they must have seen the 'other' picture on the bedside table. "We met two years ago. Honestly, I humored him for the sake of the elders' decision at first. He reminded me a lot of Ni—I mean, Phoenix's—friend, and I couldn't help but keep laughing every time I saw him."

Trucy stared at her. "Did you love him?"

Maya stayed silent for some time. "He loved me," she started, "and I loved him." The magician looked shocked and, to Apollo's curiosity, hurt.

He suspected his aide wouldn't be popping up with any more questions, so he continued the inquiry. "Are you familiar with the murder weapon, the katana?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered right away. "It was my engagement present to him."

Both Apollo and Trucy twitched—the evidence was against her. "How were you able to get it?'

"As the master of the Kurain Channeling Technique, I have connections," she said a bit guiltily. "I know of many antique owners who'd like a good transaction."

"Is there a certain reason why you got a katana for him?"

Maya paused again, recalling a memory fondly. "Elliot…is as much of a kid as he is a genius at business," she worded carefully. "We had a conversation about Steel Samurai, and he mentioned how much he always wanted a sword, ever since he was a boy. I figured it would be a good engagement present to him."

_And it was given to him…more like __through__ him._ "We found your ring, by the way," he brought up. "It was right next to his body."

She sighed, irritation seeping out of her breath. "I knew it," she muttered. "That ring always falls off every chance it gets."

"It seems it doesn't like you very much," the small magician said quietly, finally joining in the conversation.

"Do you think you know when it fell off?" Apollo asked.

"Perhaps when I was helping prepare for the party," Maya suggested. "I was about to get a wine bottle when Elliot suddenly told me that they had enough."

"Your ring must have fallen off then," he observed.

"And that would explain her fingerprints on the bottle," Trucy added. "Last item on the list, Polly!"

He took out the folded piece of crinkled paper from his pocket, a tentative look on his face. He unfolded it, handing it over to Maya through the space underneath the glass.

"We found this in your room," he said simply. Maya's eyes scanned over the letter, and they could see her eyebrows contract together after every word, as if she was confused.

_Maya—__  
Come to the cellar at 8.  
__You'll find a surprise there.  
__Remember to keep a close eye out.  
You'll never know who is out to get you._

Maya put the letter down on the desk quietly, her puzzled eyes blinking like she was still trying to register the words that she just read. She finally looked up at the waiting defense team. "I…I'm sorry," she said, shaking her head. "I've never seen this letter before."

Apollo's bracelet didn't pulsate. Her eyes never left his.

He sighed with defeat. "That's it, huh?"

Trucy relaxed against the back of the chair. "How anticlimactic," she commented.

"I'm sorry," Maya apologized again.

"Do you at least recognize the handwriting?" Apollo asked.

She shook her head No, and he sighed again. "Well, we don't even know who sent this to you and why. What a great start."

"It said to 'come to the cellar at 8.' Elliot ended up dying in that exact place at that time," Trucy stated softly. "What does this mean…?"

* * *

**February 2  
Wright Everything Agency**

The two opened the door to find Phoenix Wright, a photo album in his hands. He turned around his hat-clad head, and Apollo saw a glimpse of surprise glinted in his brown eyes. It quickly disappeared as soon as he noticed it, and a smile accompanied with a chuckle erupted from his face as Trucy skipped over to hug him.

"Hi, Daddy!" she greeted. "What are you doing?"

"Hey there, kid," he said fondly, pinching her cheek loosely. "I'm just doing a little bit of spring cleaning."

Apollo's bracelet tightened a bit, but he didn't do anything about it. He just stared at his mentor blankly. "It's the beginning of February, though."

Phoenix shrugged, like it was nothing new to him. "Early bird gets the worm."

_I didn't even know he cleaned. …Liar. He's getting my hopes up._

"So how's your investigation going?" he asked casually, the three of them sitting down simultaneously on the couch and seats provided.

"No leads," Apollo replied deadpan, plopping the side of his cheek on the fleshy part of his palm so that his cheek was pushed up cutely. "All we have is just evidence that…somewhat…proves Maya was in the crime scene."

"In the crime scene…when?" Phoenix asked, raising a brow.

"She was definitely there before the party," Trucy responded, "but she says she wasn't there at the time of the murder."

"And then she was found by a witness **after** the murder," Apollo pitched in. "This case isn't making any more sense." _The one time I get a nice, cooperative, __**sane**__ defendant is the time when the case makes the least sense. Justice, your luck is amazing._

Phoenix seemed to have stared off in the distance with one half-lidded eye, the same expression he had whenever he ignored the things Apollo presented him with. So, it was a surprise to said lawyer when he snapped out of his thought process to talk to him. "Did you find anything else?" he asked curiously.

"We found a letter," Trucy said. "It was addressed to Maya. It sounds dangerous, but none of us know the exact meaning of it."

Apollo handed the letter to Phoenix, who looked a little bit more intrigued than usual. "None of you? Not even Maya?"

The passionate lawyer shook his head. "Not even Maya."

Phoenix grunted in response, his eyes roaming over the letter. He looked like he was analyzing every letter and every word like his life depended heavily on interpreting it. "Have you gotten a handwriting analysis for this?" he inquired, looking up from the letter, a little bit more serious when he first took it out of Apollo's hands.

"We haven't thought of that," Trucy admitted. "We were just thinking about whether Maya knew about it and that the prosecution didn't find it…"

"Maybe you can ask Ema," he recommended, "she might have a blast with this. The prosecution will eventually find this out anyway." Trucy and Apollo looked at each other, knowing to heed his advice.

After a few minutes of discussing what to do and maybe what to look for with Phoenix, Apollo remembered something. He wanted to find something outby himself, and he looked towards the would-be third wheel in this conversation. "Trucy, can you call a cab for us, please?" he asked politely, handing her his azure cellphone.

She pouted cutely and stalked out the room, his cellphone clutched in her hands. "What are with older people and kicking me out of places…" she murmured under her breath and went outside the door for better reception.

Now, it was just mentor and student. Phoenix smirked, getting an inkling on what Apollo was going to interrogate him about. After all, the atmosphere always got a bit darker every time Trucy left the room.

"Have you visited Maya?" Apollo asked, turning his head to the hoodie-wearing man. Said man chuckled, only because he knew what this passionate lawyer wanted to talk about.

"Yes, I have," he answered. "Why? Is this relevant to the case, Polly?"

"It probably isn't," he acknowledged, "but I want to get a clearer background on my client before I make an incorrect assumption about her."

Phoenix saw Apollo's determination shining in his eyes, his hands balled into fists. His mouth was straightened into a single line, and he sat there, not shaking. A professional in the making—he had a perfect poker face.

He let out a breath. "What do you want to know then, Justice?"

"I heard from Trucy that the connection between you and Maya dwindled a bit," Apollo started.

Phoenix shrugged, like he had nothing to do with it. "It's true. I depended on her to call, to be frank, because whenever I called, the elders would just hang up on me whenever I did." Apparently, his reputation as an ex-lawyer back then reached their ears, and they hastily decided to just ignore him all together. He always knew that they looked at him with disapproving eyes, even in his days as a defense attorney.

"So…she hasn't called until recently?"

"Last month, just to be precise," he corrected.

"What did she tell you?"

Phoenix smirked a little, raising a brow yet again. "Now, now, my little protégé, that is for me to know and for you to never find out."

"Then...who sent you those DVDs?"

"It was that girl who escorted you to Maya, Pearl Fey. She was allowed to roam around much more freely than Maya was, so when she heard of my accident, she took the burden to do what Maya would have probably done." Phoenix smirked a little. "Which was...to send me the DVDs and write reports about every episode."

The corner of Apollo's mouth curved downward into an unsatisfied frown. "Then, let me get straight to the point." His gaze became pointed and reached Phoenix's. "Do you love Maya Fey?"

Trucy opened the door at that exact moment, her smile absorbing all the tense energy gathered in the room. "Polly! The cab's here!"

--

"_I'm sorry, Trucy, do you mind if I talk to Apollo alone, please?"_

"_!! …Okay, fine then."_

"_Just wait for me near the entrance, okay?_  
"_So…uh, what did you want me to talk about, Maya?"_

"_I just wanted to tell you about this. I'm…not exactly sure why I don't want to tell Trucy."_

"_Is it because it has something to do with her father?"_

"…_Maybe."_

"_You can tell me anything, Maya."_

"_I'm forever in your debt, Apollo."_

"_What did you want to tell me?"_

"_Just a small confirmation…I said that I loved Elliot, correct?"_

"_Was that a lie?"_

"_Not exactly. I thought I loved Elliot…until I realized, after all this time, I've been lying to myself."_

"…_You love someone else?"_

"_Painfully so."_

"_When did you realize this?"_

"_Today."_

"_Today?"_

"_When I saw him stand up to leave..._

_it took up all my energy just to not cry."_

* * *

Hope it wasn't...horribly confusing. I have the biggest habit of being vague and trailing off at the worst moments.

SO THAT'S THE NOTE GUYS. And I quote Trucy:  
"How anticlimactic."  
Oh, the sad truth.

But! The next mystery: who wrote the note and _why_ was it written that way? Uh-ohs.

I was hoping to throw you guys off, by the way. Did it work? LOL.

Review please!


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer**: Phoenix Wright, Apollo Justice, and any other lawyer games do not belong to me. All rightfully belong to CAPCOM, and this person is simply using their characters for entertainment. Really.

* * *

**February 2  
Baron Mansion**

"I'm really curious," Trucy started. Apollo looked at her with a questioning look, indicating for her to continue. "How much money are we just going to spend on the taxi?"

They were back at the crime scene, more tired than they were that morning. The sky was still a bright blue—it was only around 3 o' clock, and Apollo didn't remember getting lunch. (He did spot Trucy eating bits and pieces of a sandwich. That traitor.)

"This is going to be difficult," he mentioned as they stepped through the memorable foyer. "We don't even know what we're looking for." He turned his head to talk to Trucy directly, but he only found empty space standing on a tiled floor. "…Trucy?"

He turned around to find the girl still standing relatively close to the window placed on the side of the wide front door. "Polly, is it me, or does that motorcycle look familiar?" Sure enough, he saw the dark violet, heavy transportation machine parked outside.

"…How could we have missed that?" he whimpered.

Trucy chuckled a bit when she saw Apollo's hair slump down, matching his slouched shoulders. "C'mon, Polly, time for the cellar," she said as a matter-of-factly, walking over to him and grasping his wrist gently. She pulled him towards the hallways and grand rooms, passing the impressive paintings that were authentic copies of famous ones. (Authentic copies? What an oxymoron.)

"Hey, Polly," she started, already letting go of his wrist. Their pace had slowed down considerably—they were both in deep thought. "Was…well, do you think Maya was lying?

He could feel himself tense up and hoped Trucy didn't catch that. It was hard keeping a secret from a person who can instantly tell that you're hiding something. "I think that's something you should ask her instead," he reasoned. He didn't know whether Maya wanted him to disclose that piece of info to Trucy, considering she didn't want her in the conversation at all. Trucy nodded, accepting the fact that he didn't have the obligation to tell her.

However, he could still feel the bit of uneasiness coming from her.

* * *

**February 2****  
Wine Cellar  
Baron Manion**

They reached the bottom of the cellar, and he suddenly felt like he heard rock guitar music in the background. _Oh no,_ he thought, resisting the urge to hit his forehead.

Lo and behold, a glowing blonde rock star walked up to them, his princely smile a pleasant light in the dark, dank cellar. He noticed a disgruntled Ema in the corner, munching ferociously at her Snackoos. There was a terrifying sight: the bag was almost done. _Great. Now who is SHE going to chew out when they're done…_

"Herr Forehead! Fraulein!" Kristoph Gavin greeted, leaning forward when he mentioned Trucy. She noticeably brightened up a bit. On the other hand, Apollo's mood dampened. _I can't ask Ema about the note __now__._

"Hello, Prosecutor Gavin!" she retaliated, tipping her hat cutely. "We haven't seen you in a while."

"Well, business is business, ja?" he said, nodding in agreement. "And look where business took me!" He looked around the room nonchalantly, used to the busy scenes of investigation. "It led me to the murder of a renowned businessman."

"What a lot of business!" Trucy said.

Apollo sighed. _Get out of ours._

Klavier's whole-hearted laugh rang through the cellar (Ema's crunching rang louder), and he almost looked like he was going to ruffle Trucy's hair if it weren't for her hat. "Unfortunately, business is taking me away from this place. Those silly policemen want so much of me." He smiled, like it was a joke. _Was it?_ "_Auf wiedersehen_!" That talk seemed a lot shorter than the talks they normally had, but Apollo couldn't complain. They watched as he walked up the cellar, skipping every other step, and the place suddenly seemed darker.

Ema wasn't making it any better, of course. "Glimmerous fop…coming here…" She was mumbling other sorts of insults against Klavier, but Apollo couldn't catch most of them. He was surprised that the bag wasn't done yet. It was like there was an endless wormhole in that bag, sending more and more Snackoos in there to keep her satisfied.

Explain _that_ scientifically, Detective Skye!

Trucy nudged for him to go forward, evidently a little bit cautious treading around Ema herself. He sighed, giving in again. He hesitantly tapped the detective's shoulder and was ready to run, like he had woken up the mother-bear from her hibernation.

Ema's head snapped around, and for a good second, her eyes looked bloodshot and ready to kill. But as soon as she saw it was just Apollo and Trucy, she calmed down. …Just a little bit.

"Glad to see you guys again," she said, still munching away.

_Your voice doesn't sound very glad._ Apollo sighed.

"Well, uh, I'll be straight-forward then," he told her, and he took out the folded piece of paper from his pocket. "Can you do a handwriting analysis for us, Ema?"

It seemed like as soon as she heard the word 'analysis', she jumped. It didn't matter whether it was something as measly as a handwriting analysis or maybe as exciting as a fingerprint analysis—it was something to analyze. **Scientifically**. Her smile widened, and she practically snatched the paper out of his hands. Unfolding it, her eyes roamed through the paper, and her smile slowly disappeared.

"…Where'd you get this, Apollo?"

He sighed again, knowing this time was going to come around eventually. "I found it in the room the defendant's staying in," he claimed. "She herself doesn't know who wrote it; it sounded like she never even laid her eyes on it until today."

"You do realize," Ema said slowly, "that you are sharing evidence with the prosecution, correct?"

"Yes, I do," he replied, and she and Trucy could see the fire in his eyes. "It won't matter—all will be revealed in that courtroom, and Maya will be proven innocent."

Ema's smile gradually came back, and her eyes softened. "I'm glad she has you as a lawyer, Justice," she said, patting his shoulder. "Well, you guys can go around to investigate some more. I'm going to get busy with this note."

* * *

**February 2  
****First Ballroom  
Baron Mansion**

They entered the grand ballroom again, finding it an identical state that it was in when they found it that morning. The plates, the tables, the decorations, even the woman they had talked to—they were all still there. The only difference was the presence of another person in the room: a man.

He was wearing a dark, royal blue turtleneck underneath a gray vest. He looked very professional, but his face was much kinder and softer than the harsh lines and angles of Contessa or Elliot's face.

Their sudden presence must have caught both of the unnamed peoples' attention, looking at the expressions on their faces.

"Excuse me," the man started, "who are you?" His voice was smooth, and the words came out like they had sung a lower tenor's part of a song.

"Hey, you know, Polly, they could have been here the night of the party," Trucy whispered to him. _Oh, duh._ Apollo thought, her words registering in his head.

He dusted some imaginary dirt off his own fiery vest. "I'm Apollo Justice—and this is Trucy Wright, my aide," he introduced. "We're Maya Fey's lawyers." He stuck out his hand alongside a friendly smile on his face.

The man seemed to have recognized Maya's name (who wouldn't?) by the slight widening of his eyes. However, he didn't hold the slightest hint of malice or a grudge in his brown eyes. There was just…recognition. He shook Apollo's hand with a firm grip, but it was equally as friendly as the lawyer's smile.

"Tako King, cousin of the victim," he replied. "I work for the family business."

_Royalty Banking, I presume._ Apollo turned to the woman and blushed sheepishly, his hand out for her to take. "I believe we haven't 'met' properly," he said.

She giggled softly and took his hand kindly. It felt light and soft like a touch of a feather. "Lillian Baron. I'm the younger sister of Elliot."

Trucy took another look at the two adults they just met. Lillian's voice rang like bells, and her face looked silky to the touch. They looked radiant and successful, but there was something holding them back. The little magician kept looking and looking until she figured out what it was.

There was hidden grief that shrouded their hearts, and they were too professional to show it.

Apollo swallowed the nervous lump in his throat. "I'm sorry for your loss," he said genuinely. For a good second, a buzzing silence occurred between the four occupants of the first ballroom. "Would you mind if we asked some questions about last night?

* * *

**February 2  
Wright Everything Agency**

A teenaged girl opened the door to the agency, her blue eyes looking around curiously. Pearl Fey never got to see the inside of the new office exclusively when she came to pick up Apollo and Trucy. But now that she was inside, she can confidently say that it never looked as messy as this.

"Looking for something?"

She jumped at the sudden sound and snapped her head to the source. There, behind the desk buried with junk, stood Phoenix Wright, smirking with all his glory.

"If you're going to steal something, I believe I foiled your plans," he chuckled.

Pearl pouted cutely, crossing her arms in a huff. "Mr. Nick, you know I wouldn't do that!" He laughed whole-heartedly while he walked over to her.

"You've grown so much, Pearls!" he commented, placing his large hand on top of her head. "What a lovely young lady you've become."

Pearl smirked—something he didn't know she could do. "Save that tone for your daughter, Mr. Nick," she joked, gently removing his hand from her head. "After all, I just saw you last year. AND I'm turning 18 soon."

He looked half-taken aback, unconsciously wondering where the years went. "God, help us the day Pearls turns legal." She huffed again, her cheeks blushing with indignation. "What brings you around to this place?"

She glanced around the room again. "I was curious about how Apollo was doing," she answered truthfully. Her eyes landed on the dusty, ebony piano, and somewhere in the back of her mind, she recalled a memory full of wrong notes and incomprehensible melodies.

"Why not ask Maya at the detention center, then?" he inquired.

"I wanted to know if he shared any secret information with you, first." Pearl grinned, her smile an almost perfect U. As the years went by, her mind developed a larger sense of sneakiness. It was almost inevitable, despite the fact that she still wasn't a convincing liar.

Phoenix's laugh echoed in the office again. "Believe me, Pearls, I think he hasn't told me anything other than what Maya has been telling him." Or so he had expected. "How are the village elders treating you?"

"It's all fine in Kurain," she said airily. "The work is difficult—that's the main thing." She lifted her thumb nail to her lips and looked to the side with a bit of worry. "I never knew Mystic Maya had so much on her shoulders."

There was an uncomfortable silence after that statement. A bit of an accusation or an implication resided in Pearl's tone, and Phoenix had an idea what she was accusing him of. He knew she forgave him, and he knew she didn't hold a grudge against him. It was more of a small command to push him, to remind him of what he already knew. It was a request to take action before someone gets hurt.

He didn't know what to say.

He simply breathed in and let all the air out. "No one ever said being a leader was going to be easy."

* * *

**February 2  
****First Ballroom  
Baron Mansion**

They were sitting at one of the tables covered with a lavender cloth—it had the least leftover food from last night. Trucy hid a small, light blue notebook behind the table across from Tako and Lillian. She was responsible for taking notes, a job put on her shoulders by…well, her.

"I take great notes!" She had told Apollo, who looked a bit skeptical about the idea. "My friends NEVER understand my handwriting!" He glanced over at her notebook and could only make out 'King' and 'Lil' amidst the scrawl. He suspected that she wrote 'cousin' and 'sister', respectively, but he couldn't even count how many letters she wrote.

He turned his attention fully to the two relatives, deciding to think about Trucy's notes later. "How close were you to Elliot?" he asked.

Tako sat silent for a moment. "Elliot was a production manager, and I was asked by him to help direct the team." He paused, causing a worried glance from Lillian. "I…eventually became his confidant and best friend."

Trucy scribbled something on her notepad.

"I am his younger sister," Lillian replied after seeing Apollo's expectant gaze. "As siblings, we were our…safe haven, if you will."

"Safe haven?" Apollo inquired.

"We'd go to each other if mother and father went a little too far," she explained nicely, probably not wanting to badmouth her parents.

"Too far?" Trucy piped up.

Lillian smiled at her. She hasn't once questioned about why a 15-year-old girl would be part of a defense team. In fact, she looked like she liked Trucy quite a lot. "We are, afterall, children of the big business world." She lifted her hands and played with the end of her dark hair, which was placed in front of her left shoulder. "We have an important image to keep."

Apollo noted the look on her face. She didn't want to continue with anything else about her parents, so he nodded and continued with the questioning. "When did you meet Maya Fey?"

At this, both of their expressions turned identical. Their eyes widened by a centimeter and the corners of their mouth twitched. "We both met her at the same time," Tako spoke. "It was at a family dinner, where we were supposed to meet the woman who Elliot was matched with."

"Who was there?" asked Apollo.

"It was just my father and mother, Tako, Elliot, and me," Lillian answered softly. "Maya and her cousin, Pearl, came soon after." She didn't bring her parents. _She had none to bring._

"What did you think of her?" Trucy asked curiously.

It took a second for either one of them to respond, but they both ended up smiling. "We thought she was a polite, charming woman," Tako replied. "Not as professional as us, so we thought we could end up teaching her the ways."

"Then, we learned how much we couldn't," Lillian continued. She seemed delighted, recalling the memory. "When Father asked of her interests, Miss Maya came out with the truth: 'I love the Steel Samurai.'"

The table was filled with chuckles and smiles, thinking or imagining how the scene went.

"I think that was when Elliot fell for her, **hard**," Tako added, leaning on the table with his elbows, his hands folded neatly. "I saw the look on his face when she said that. He could have kissed her if he wanted to." Lillian's laughter rang like her voice: sweet bells. "Aunt Tessa looked less than pleased, but Elliot grew more attached to her than before."

"May I say something blunt?" Trucy asked. The two nodded their heads. "Your mother scares me."

Lillian and Tako both laughed. "She has a tendency to do that, yes," she agreed. "Maya must have been one of the only people who hasn't cowered in fear of her."

_What a brave woman_. Apollo thought, shivering at the image of Contessa in his head. "Your mother _does_ have a presence about her," he contributed, smiling sheepishly.

"You noticed it, too?" Tako said in shock. "See, Lil? I **told** you! I thought I was crazy, being the only one in the family to notice that kind of abnormality." Lillian only shook her head and rolled her eyes, and Trucy giggled.

"So, all of you were present at the engagement party?" Apollo asked.

"Naturally," Tako replied.

"Did any of you go missing for a period of time?"

Lillian tapped her cheek in thought. "I think I was there the whole entire time, entertaining guests."

"I'm pretty sure I did the same, except the time when I went with Aunt Tessa to get more wine for guests…" Tako trailed off, as if he remembered something.

"…You found Maya along with Mrs. Baron, didn't you, Mr. Tako?" Trucy contributed softly.

There was a minute of suspended silence, and he sighed. "Yes." They both gave him a minute to rid the pictures of the blood and the body out of his head.

"…Were there any other people that you noticed may have gone missing for a while? Even for a few minutes?" Apollo asked, hoping they'd get something.

"…Well…" _Oh my gosh, am I actually getting a real hint?_ "Remember my comment about Aunt Tessa?"

"And her overpowering presence?" Trucy asked.

Tako ran a hand through his midnight hair. "It was gone."

"What!?"

* * *

**February 2  
Guest Room  
Baron Mansion**

"Polly, why are we in here again?" Trucy asked, looking around at the room. It didn't look any different than the last time they were in here. "That hint that Tako gave us wasn't much, in my opinion, and we already looked in here."

"Contessa leaving the room for a good 10 minutes is pretty good to me," Apollo said, looking under Maya's neat bed cover. "It doesn't seem like a long time, but your whole life can change in a second. Why not 10 minutes?"

"I'm not old enough to think about stuff like that, Polly," Trucy argued, looking at the mirror again and fixing her hat.

"So you're calling me old?" Apollo asked, his insides crying rivers. _I'm not THAT old!_ "Do me a favor, Trucy? Can you look through the garbage can again?"

She bent down to the small basket and raised a brow. "What are you looking for?"

"I'm not sure," he said, having a staring contest with the open suitcase. He was having an inner debate on whether to look through it and not expect a flying undergarment at his head. "Anything that looks useful. After we look through here, we'll check up with Ema about that analysis. We're not allowed to be here tomorrow, after all."

_Because that woman told the prosecution about us…_ He thought, scratching the back of his neck wearily.

Trucy took something out of the can. "Polly!" She held it up to him. "It's a receipt!"

* * *

**February 2  
Wine Cellar  
Baron Mansion**

The defense team found their favorite detective looking a mix of 'puzzled' and 'irritated'.

"It looks like bad news, Ema," Apollo said, going up to her. She jumped and turned around, sighing in relief at the sight of the two.

"Sorry, caught me off-guard there," she mentioned. She definitely mellowed out from the last time they saw her. She wasn't extremely mad—but she wasn't extremely excited, either. "…Mm, yeah, bad news."

"What is it?" Trucy asked. Her eyebrows were curved up in anxiety.

Ema gave them back the wrinkled piece of paper.

"We couldn't match anyone's handwriting."

* * *

Yes. Way over-due. Yes. A little rushed.

I had recently went to AnimeNext, and after taking a few pictures of some PW cosplayers, that fire in my heart burning for the PW fandom was ignited again. I'm actually glad—I **really want to **finish this story.

Thanks a lot, guys, for reviewing! Really, you all are just my incentive to keep going with this story.


End file.
